The present invention relates generally to the data processing field, and more particularly, relates to a method, apparatus and computer program product for eliminating unnecessary dialog box pop-ups.
The Internet, an international, wide area network connects thousands of disparate packet-switching networks in industry, education, government, and research. The Internet provides a medium for effectively communicating with others and a research support and information retrieval mechanism. The Internet enables the exchange of information quickly and conveniently. However, when searching on topics of interest, a web page being reviewed often includes a window or pop-up indicating that a plugin is needed or advertising some idea, service, or product.
These dialog box pop-ups while informative prove particularly annoying when moving back and forth between the web page that initiated the dialog box pop-ups and another page. This happens frequently when using the back button in known browser windows, such as the Netscape browser windows, to get back to the first page and possibly go to other links.
A need exists for the ability for a browser program, such as Netscape, to detect what web page created the pop-up boxes and then disable or turn them off after the user has seen them once. A need exists for a method by which the browser program can be configured to accomplish this task.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus and computer program product for eliminating unnecessary dialog box pop-ups. Other important objects of the present invention are to provide such a method, apparatus and computer program product for eliminating unnecessary dialog box pop-ups substantially without negative effect and that overcome many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements.
In brief, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for eliminating unnecessary dialog box pop-ups. When web page data are retrieved, checking for a pop-up command within the retrieved web page data is performed. Responsive to identifying the pop-up command within the retrieved web page data, checking a saved web page data pop-up command list for the identified pop-up command is performed. Responsive to identifying the pop-up command within the saved web page data pop-up command list, the pop-up command is ignored.
In accordance with features of the invention, responsive to failing to identify the pop-up command within the saved web page data pop-up command list, the pop-up command is saved within the saved web page data pop-up command list. The access time for the pop-up command is saved together with the pop-up command within the saved web page data pop-up command list. When the pop-up command identified within the saved web page data pop-up command list is older than a predetermined time limit, then the access time for the pop-up command is reset in the saved web page data pop-up command list and the dialog box pop-up is displayed.